Letter to the editor: A survey on parking charges at shopping centres revealed a massive disadvantage for Beckenham High Street traders.
Free parking is available at Tesco Elmers End, Savacentre Bell Green, two-hour free parking at Penge’s Blenheim Centre, Lidl car park rear of Sydenham High Street and free parking at Westmoreland Road, Bromley.
Despite raising this with Bromley Council, no response has been received. The parking situation for shoppers is being worsened by constantly extending controlled parking zones.
If our high streets are going to survive, they need competitive conditions.
The reality is that, contrary to parking regulations, Bromley uses parking revenue to raise money. As a town, we have lost control of how money is spent an the local taxes and parking charges are decided elsewhere.
We need to restore Beckenham Council, which would lower town centre parking charges.
Independent retailers will benefit and the long term trend of supermarkets getting their own way can be finally reversed.
ROD REED, Bromley
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